Have you ever noticed how the words, “0 grams Trans Fat,” mysteriously appeared on several packaged foods? The term showed up on the front in bold writing and was listed on the nutrition facts label in 2006. This was the year that the U.S. government made it mandatory that labels should reveal the amount of trans fat in foods. But why should we know about trans fat content and what is it anyway?

Although the term may be relatively new to us, trans fat has been in our foods for quite some time. This fat, also known as hydrogenated fat or oil, was patented in the early 1900s by the scientist, Wilhem Normann. He used a process to pump hydrogens into vegetable oils and this gave vegetable oils the characteristic of being solid at room temperature. This was the first fake fat to make it to the food chain. Proctor and Gamble introduced it to the food supply in the form of Crisco.

Once manufacturers understood that it had benefits such as increasing the shelf life of products, it was used in processed foods such as cookies, pastries, non dairy creamers and margarine. But in 1990s researchers reported that these fats increased LDL (the bad cholesterol) and increased the risk of heart disease.

Other researchers pointed out other less-than desirable characteristics. For example, researchers now know that trans fat can replace a natural fat called, DHA, in the membranes of the brain cell. This changes the electrical activity and the communication between cells weakens. In other words, your brain does not function as well as it should. How can you limit or alleviate trans fat in the diet?

Trans fats are mainly found in processed and packaged foods. Read the label. If the label says, hydrogenated oil/fat or partially hydrogenated oil/fat, the product has trans fat. If a product has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, the manufacturer can say that a product is trans fat free. So, it is important to read the label to determine if it contains Trans fat. Choose foods that are trans fat free.

Some fast food restaurants still use Trans fat products. Ask if hamburgers, French fries and other prepared foods contain trans fat. Avoid the ones that do. The American Heart Association recommends that less than one percent of your calories could come from trans fat but ideally, this is one food substance that should not be consumed.

Keeping your body healthy as always is important and avoiding trans fat can help you reach this goal.

How is it that two children from one family eat the same food and have similar lifestyles and later on one suffers from diabetes and the other child does not? Over the past decades, scientists have explored this question and although a few theories have emerged they seem to agree that our genes play a role in how our bodies respond to food.

Our bodies are made up of cells. Each cell contains a nucleus and inside the nucleus of most of our cells, there are two sets of the human genome. Each genome is like an instructional book written in an unknown language. Scientists do not understand this language but they do know that a genome has 23 chromosomes and each chromosome is thought to have 30,000 – 80,000 genes.

When genes become active they make thousands of proteins. These proteins make up cells, hair, muscles and many other substances. For every action in the body, proteins are involved and genes regulate these proteins. Normally, genes are copied when making new cells. At times, the genes may not be copied exactly as the original. Usually, this is harmless to our bodies but on occasion these changes may cause a disorder in the body.

Scientists know that the impact of diet on genes and disease is quite complex. For example, looking at our genes can help determine if we are at risk for heart disease. But even if we are, will a low fat diet help us or hurt us? Another complex connection is our diet and Type II diabetes. There are many genes controlling or influencing blood sugar levels, insulin, and even the movement of glucose (blood sugar) into the cells.

The way a disease works in our bodies can be influenced by something called gene expression. Gene expression refers to the strength of a gene. If two people have the similar lifestyles and genes that cause heart disease, one person may have little or no symptoms because the genes express themselves mildly. The other person may have severe symptoms because the genes express themselves strongly.

With today’s technology, scientists have discovered some of the mysteries concerning our genes, but there is still much to uncover. One of the important questions that remains unanswered is how will this new information affect us. On one hand, we can be tested to find out if we carry the gene for a specific disease. If we do, we can change our lifestyles to get rid of or minimize the symptoms. On the other hand, we can respond in fear and go overboard to correct a genetic issue including following the wrong advice. Another issue that some fear is that people who carry certain genes may experience discrimination. They may pay more for health insurance or may not get a job. Be on the look out to see how these issues will be addressed.

Genes are not the only factor that affects our health. The environment, choices, foods, exercise and other factors can impact our health. Genes are only one piece of the healthy puzzle.

Prescription drug overdose in the US is now the leading cause of injury death, more than motor vehicle traffic accidents.

In 2012, health care providers in the US wrote 259 million prescriptions for painkillers. That’s enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills. This same year 41,502 people died from drug overdoses. Prescription drugs accounted for 53 percent of these fatalities. Of the 22,114 deaths which occurred from these overdoses, 72 percent involved opioid analgesics and 30 percent involved benzodiazepines.1

When the Centers for Disease Control in the US identified the five top health issues in our country, the second major concern is the prevention of prescription drug abuse and overdose. Linda C. Degutis, DrPH, MSN, who is the director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control states:

“The problem of prescription painkiller overdoses has reached epidemic proportions. The annual number of overdose deaths from these drugs now exceeds deaths from heroin and cocaine combined. This is a public health crisis and measures must be taken now to reduce the death toll.”2

Conservative Christians are vulnerable to prescription drug abuse. They “know” that alcohol and street drugs are “bad.” But there is a temptation to turn to medical professionals to get more prescription drugs than their condition needs. Then shame locks them into hiding their addiction.

The most common addictive drugs, which can give a state of intoxication, are depressants. These barbiturates and tranquilizers are used to relieve anxiety, but can quickly become addictive with tolerance levels changing. Stimulants, which give people a sense of alertness, can also be abused. Overdosing on any of these can lead to death.

Church members can be quick to judge those struggling with prescription addictions as morally weak. But there is a growing awareness that a problem with prescriptive drugs is both a medical problem and a spiritual problem. Help can come from both medical professionals and those who can provide spiritual encouragement.

If you’re struggling with an addiction to prescription drugs, don’t hesitate to get help. Talk with your medical doctor. If you are tempted to overdose or have taken too many pills, immediately call 9-1-1 and ask for help. You can also talk to someone from the American Association of Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

If you have a family member or friend who seems to have an addiction to prescription drugs, be an encouragement to that person. Begin praying for them. Talk with them. Don’t make excuses for them or try to control their lives. There may be denial and anger. Curtis VanderWaal, MSW, Ph.D., Chair of the Social Work Department at Andrews University, gives these additional suggestions:

“There are, however, some important things which you can do to deal more effectively with someone who has a drug or alcohol problem. You should try to be: Firm – explain why you feel use of alcohol or other drugs can be harmful, causing problems which require counseling or treatment. Understanding – listen to the reasons why he or she uses or abuses alcohol or other drugs. This can be difficult to do, but it is important if you want to maintain a level of trust and convey a sense of acceptance. Supportive – assist the user in finding help and provide moral support through tough times ahead.”3

God has a tender regard for all who feel overwhelmed by pain in this world, whether it’s physical, emotional, or spiritual. A person addicted to prescription drugs may feel that it is impossible to let go of medications that help them survive. Jesus once said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, NIV).

If you feel the weight of the world pressing you down, remember, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 24:18). Know that you have a kind and compassionate God who wants to set you free.Curtis Rittenour writes from the Pacific Northwest.1 www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns2 http://www.cdc.gov/media/dpk/2013/dpk-2013-review.html3 http://www.adventsource.org/as30/plusLine.article.aspx?id=703&umschk=1

Honey is one of the earliest sweeteners used by humans and preceded the use of sugarcane by many centuries. Beekeeping to obtain honey probably goes back to the early Egyptians who used honey in embalming, in medicine, and for food. Honey has long been a staple of the kitchen.

In Bible times, wild honey was collected from tree hollows and the clefts of rocks. John the Baptist had wild honey as a mainstay of his diet. The numerous references to honey in scripture indicates that honey must have been fairly abundant and popular in Palestine. Wisdom literature likens pleasant words and wisdom to honey.

Honeybees collect nectar to make honey to use as a food. A good colony of about 50,000 worker bees can put away about 2 lbs of honey in a day. To produce a pound of honey, bees may travel as far as 40,000 miles and visit more than 2 million flowers. Over 200 million pounds of honey are produced in the US annually. Honey bees collect nectar from different floral sources. There are over 300 varieties of honey, with clover and alfalfa providing the major sources of nectar.

Nectar commonly contains about 20 to 40 percent sugar. The bees in the hive concentrate the honey in the honeycomb to about 83% solids. Bees add the enzyme invertase to convert sucrose to the simple sugars glucose and fructose. After collection, most honey is heat treated to prevent unwanted fermentation by osmophilic yeasts and to delay crystallization. Honey is also filtered to remove air bubbles, solids and pollen grains.

The 3 major components of honey are fructose (38%), glucose (31%) and water (17%). The remaining 14% consists of disaccharides, trisaccharides, oligosaccharides, enzymes, and small amounts of minerals (such as selenium, magnesium, chromium, and potassium). The level of minerals in honey, however, does not compare with the level found in molasses.

Benefits of Honey

Honey has some unique properties that provide health benefits beyond its delicious taste and sweetening capacity. The oligosaccharides in honey have been suggested to promote the growth of beneficial bifidobacteria in the colon. This colonization may be useful following diarrhea or an extended use of antibiotics. Honey is also rich in health-promoting antioxidants such as pinocembrin and pinobanksin. The antioxidant content does vary depending upon the floral source and correlates with color. Honey from buckwheat, the darkest honey, was found to have the highest antioxidant content.

Of interest to the person with type II diabetes, the use of honey produces a smaller blood glucose and insulin response than similar amounts of carbohydrate from sucrose. Since honey contains large amounts of fructose it tends to be sweeter (depending upon the temperature) than regular sugar, so that less may be used. However, a tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories from the 17 grams of carbohydrate, while a tablespoon of table sugar contains 45 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrate.

Honey has been used in ancient and recent times as a remedy for burns, ulcers and wound dressings. Some have suggested that honey may help to prevent bacterial colonization of a wound and help in the healing process. Due to its osmotic properties, honey creates a moist wound-healing environment in the form of a solution that does not stick to wound tissues. Honey can reduce inflammation and reduce exudate formation more promptly than standard treatments.

Honey is not recommended for infants under one year of age since honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores which can germinate, grow and produce a toxin in the colon of infants who do not have a fully developed intestinal microflora, resulting in infant botulism.

The food guide pyramid reminds us that table sugar (sucrose) is a highly refined carbohydrate and should be used sparingly. Likewise, honey is a concentrated sweetening agent composed essentially of sugars. We should not view honey as a vastly superior sweetening agent to be used without restriction.

Dr. Karl Menninger was once asked, “If you knew a person was heading for a nervous breakdown what would you suggest?” Everyone expected that the famous psychiatrist would say, “Make an appointment with a psychiatrist as soon as possible,” but he didn’t. Instead he said, “Lock your door, go across the railroad tracks, and help someone in need!”

This answer is profound. It’s the outgrowth of God’s second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It is the essence of what separates the sheep from the goats at the final judgment when the king says, “When I was hungry you fed me; thirsty, you gave me something to drink; a stranger, you took me in; naked, you gave me clothes; sick or in prison, you visited me.” It’s the gospel in action—the Good Samaritan helping the hurt man on the highway.

God designed the human operating system to function best when serving others. We are wired for relationships. Basically, people need people if they want to be healthy!

Research supports this. If physical habits such as eating breakfast, keeping a proper weight, not smoking or drinking, sleeping adequately, and exercising affect longevity, what about social habits? In a survey, there were four items on the questionnaire that might give an indication as to a person’s social health: if married, having close family and friends, membership in a church, or belonging to a social club. The results were startling. Those individuals who had these strong social networks lived longer than even their physical health habits would predict.

People who complain about being lonely as often people who are depressed. They may be married or single but they keep to themselves; they don’t join into social activities; they’re not outgoing. Instead, they’re self-centered.

If this description fits you—and you want to avoid the blues and live a little longer—volunteer your services to a nursing home, community service, or soup kitchen.

Isn’t it ironic! The hardest thing to do when you’re depressed is the very thing that can help you the most: Get up, get out, and get busy helping others.

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